Various compositions are known to be useful as treating agents to provide surface effects to substrates. Surface effects include repellency to moisture, soil, and stains, and other effects, which are particularly useful for fibrous substrates and other substrates such as hard surfaces. Many such treating agents are fluorinated polymers or copolymers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,766 discloses polyfluoro nitrogen containing organic compounds useful to provide oil repellency, water repellency, soil resistance and/or soil release properties to substrates treated therewith. Compounds exemplified contain mixtures of perfluoroalkyl groups having predominantly eight or more carbons.
Customer requirements for surface protection products are in a state of constant evolution, and there is a continuing need for new cost-effective, environmentally friendly chemical intermediates and products. Industry is constantly searching for compounds with minimum environmental impact and higher fluorine efficiency. In particular there is a need for short chain fluorochemicals wherein some of the expensive fluorocarbon moieties have been replaced with less expensive and more readily biodegradable moieties. However, the performance must be maintained or superior despite the reduction in fluorine. The present invention provides such fluorochemicals.